Tory MPs who lost seats feel ‘let down’ by Theresa May as they hunt for jobs

Theresa May was today accused of failing to do enough to help Tory MPs who lost their seat at the election find new jobs.

At least six, if not more, are still struggling to find a suitable, permanent job, the Standard has been told.

One said: “There is a huge amount of dissatisfaction at the way that they have been treated and handled.

“The Prime Minister could have done so much more to show interest in sorting out the disastrous mess she created for many of her colleagues who lost their seats. Many feel very let down by her and the party.”

Another one said there has been some help and support but more would have been welcome.

Former MPs have been spending the summer filling in job application forms and at least one has done voluntary work. Some are also trying to find employment for staff members who lost their jobs at such short notice following the snap election.

More than 30 Conservative MPs lost their seats in June despite the Tories initially setting out to get Mrs May a landslide victory.

She has apologised for the bungled election campaign and managed to survive the immediate threat to her premiership in the weeks after the election result which left the Tories having to rely on the Democratic Unionist Party for a Commons majority.

However, she faces the threat of fresh unrest at the party’s annual rally in Manchester at the start of October.

Ahead of the gathering, as many as 100 MPs and their partners are understood to have been invited to Chequers, the Prime Minister’s official country residence, as part of a canape and prosecco charm offensive.

Those on the guest list are understood to include Graham Brady, the influential chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench MPs, and Brexit campaigners Iain Duncan Smith, the former Work and Pensions Secretary, and Bernard Jenkin.

One MP said Mrs May had gone “out of her way to be charming”.

Downing Street has played down a report that Mrs May will make an apology at the start of the party conference for the election which went so badly wrong for her party, even though it still got more MPs than Labour and retained power.

However, the Prime Minister remains under intense pressure.

Some MPs expect her to carry on in No 10 until Brexit day in March 2019 but she is widely expected to stand down before the next election.